Bottom Line:
Cholesterol is essential for the functioning of all human organs, but it is nevertheless the cause of coronary heart disease.Over the course of nearly a century of investigation, scientists have developed several lines of evidence that establish the causal connection between blood cholesterol, atherosclerosis, and coronary heart disease.Building on that knowledge, scientists and the pharmaceutical industry have successfully developed a remarkably effective class of drugs--the statins--that lower cholesterol levels in blood and reduce the frequency of heart attacks.

ABSTRACTCholesterol is essential for the functioning of all human organs, but it is nevertheless the cause of coronary heart disease. Over the course of nearly a century of investigation, scientists have developed several lines of evidence that establish the causal connection between blood cholesterol, atherosclerosis, and coronary heart disease. Building on that knowledge, scientists and the pharmaceutical industry have successfully developed a remarkably effective class of drugs--the statins--that lower cholesterol levels in blood and reduce the frequency of heart attacks.

Mentions:
At the end of 1978, I left Sankyo and moved to Tokyo Noko University (Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology), where I continued my work on reductase inhibitors, and in February 1979 isolated another statin (named monacolin K) from cultures of Monascus ruber.74) In the fall of the same year, it was confirmed that monacolin K and mevinolin were the same compound (later both changed to lovastatin) (Fig. 3).

Mentions:
At the end of 1978, I left Sankyo and moved to Tokyo Noko University (Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology), where I continued my work on reductase inhibitors, and in February 1979 isolated another statin (named monacolin K) from cultures of Monascus ruber.74) In the fall of the same year, it was confirmed that monacolin K and mevinolin were the same compound (later both changed to lovastatin) (Fig. 3).

Bottom Line:
Cholesterol is essential for the functioning of all human organs, but it is nevertheless the cause of coronary heart disease.Over the course of nearly a century of investigation, scientists have developed several lines of evidence that establish the causal connection between blood cholesterol, atherosclerosis, and coronary heart disease.Building on that knowledge, scientists and the pharmaceutical industry have successfully developed a remarkably effective class of drugs--the statins--that lower cholesterol levels in blood and reduce the frequency of heart attacks.

ABSTRACTCholesterol is essential for the functioning of all human organs, but it is nevertheless the cause of coronary heart disease. Over the course of nearly a century of investigation, scientists have developed several lines of evidence that establish the causal connection between blood cholesterol, atherosclerosis, and coronary heart disease. Building on that knowledge, scientists and the pharmaceutical industry have successfully developed a remarkably effective class of drugs--the statins--that lower cholesterol levels in blood and reduce the frequency of heart attacks.